Revolving illuminated sign for water-tanks, &amp;c.



F. .W. MEYER.

REVOLVING ILLUMINATED SIGN FOR WATER TANKS, m.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, I91].

Patented June 4, 1918,

WITNESSES A TTORNEVS UNTTEW tdTATE PATENT REVOLVING ILLUMINATED SIGN FOR WATER-TANKS, 860.

Application filed February 14, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Revolving lllumi nated Sign for lVater-Tanks, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to illuminated signs and has to deal with revolving signs especially adapted for use in connection with water tanks or similar high appurtenances of buildings, whereby valuable advertising space now lost can be utilized to advantage.

l/Vater tanks are usually unsightly objects plainly in view, and it is one of the objects of the present invention to mount a revolving sign around the circumference of the tank and support the sign on the latter, whereby no special support for the sign is required other than the tank, and whereby the appearance of the tank is improved.

A more specific object of the invention is to improve the construction of revolving signs 0 as to be reliable and efiicient in use, comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and install, and so designed that the letters will be illuminated continuously while the sign revolves.

.Vith such objects in view, and others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4:, 1918.

Serial No. 148,535.

hoops 1 which serve to support the revolving sign.

The revolving sign is an open structure preferably of metalwork and is formed of a plurality of uprights 2 and horizontal circular channels or hoops 3, i, 5 and 6, the uprights 2 serving as connectors for uniting the hoops in spaced parallel relation. The upright bars 2 are fastened to the outer surfaces of the hoops or channel irons. The upper ends of the uprights 2 are formed into an inverted U-shaped bend 7, and within the bend is mounted a horizontal roller 8 which rides in a horizontal circular track 9 which surrounds the tank and is mounted on brackets 10. The track 9 i channel-shaped in cross-section, with the channel facing upwardly so that the rollers 8 rest within the channel of the track 9, and the upper end of the sign is thus held against lateral displacement, while free to revolve. The track 9 supports the weight of the sign to a suitable extent and steadies the sign at the top. The bottom ring 6 is provided with a plurality of rollers 10, one of which is shown in Fig. 2, and these rollers run in circular tracks which are channel-' shaped in cross-section, with the channels opening to the side or outwardly, whereby therollerg can extend into the tracks horizontally. The track 11 is supported on brackets 12 fastened to the water tank A.

In the present instance the framework of the sign is constructed to hold two lines of letters 13 and 14:, respectively, the upper line being fastened to the rings 3 and i and the lower line to the rings 5 and 6. These letters are of any suitable construction and are equipped with lamps for their illumination. To supply current to the lamps, metallic rings 15 are set into the rings 8 and 5, but separated therefrom by insulation linings 16 in the rings 3 and 5. Each ring 15 is connected with the characters of the adjacent line of letters, and running in each trolley ring 15 is a contact wheel or trolley 17 carried by a lever 18 fulcrumed at 19 on a bracket 20, there being a spring 21 acting on the lever to maintain a current conducting contact between the trolley 17 and trolley track 15. The lamps of the various letters may be connected by a common ground return with a source of current (not shown), While the trolley wheels 17 are connected with the other side of the supply circuit. Over the trolley tracks 15 is a hood or shed in the form of a ring 22 which i fastened to and extends inwardly a suitable distance from the rings 3- and 5, so that the trolley tracks are kept free from rain, snow or sleet. The upper ends of the uprights or hangers 2 carry a wide hood 23 shaped to shed the rain and to protect the upper track 9 The intermediate ring 4 is provided with a circular rack 24 with which meshes a pinion 25 on the shaft of a motor 26. The motor is mounted on a bracket 27 fastened to the water tank. On the same bracket is a protectivehood28 for the motor. The various brackets are so constructed as to be fastened to the hoops 1 of the tank, so that the hoops form a ready attaching means for the supporting and guiding structure, as well1 as the driving and current supply means for the sign.

While the invention has been shown applied to a watertank, it is to be understood that it can be applied to similar structures which form appurtenances to buildings and whichv are located above the roof or at the skyline, thus rendering objects that are seen at a distanceuseful for sign supports.

The use of the term water tank is to be understood to cover structures on buildings suitableifor therotary sign herein set forth.

From the foregoing descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of'the construction andmethod of operation will;be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the-invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, to-

gether with thedevice which I now considerto be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a supporting structure, a rotatable frame thereon, sign letters on the frame and including lamps, a conductor ring or trolley track mounted'on and insulated from the frame and connected with the lamps of the sign letters, and a contact mounted on the structure and engaging the trolley track tosupply current to the lamps.

2. The combination of a supporting structure including bands onthe outside thereof, brackets supported by the band's, an upper channel carried'by the upper brackets and the channel opening upward,v a channel track carried by the lower brackets and having its channel opening laterally, a framework surrounding the support and including rollers engaging in the channels, whereby the latter support and steady the framework, illuminated letters on the framework, conductor rings or trolley tracks mounted 011 and insulated from the framework and connected with the lamps of the letters, a contact for supplying current to the conductors, said brackets sup porting the contacts on the said structure, and an electric motor supported on the structure and geared to the framework for rotating the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name -to this specification in the two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK WVILLIAM MEYER.

VV-itnesses G. BRAnW-AY, G. H. EMsLIE;

Copies of this. patent may be obtained for-five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington,-]). 0.

presence of 

